70 Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA.
02025 *781 383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben Barrett Ben517@aol.com
Hello,
I want all to know about our financial situation because it is
your donations that has made the association viable and in the past
this information was usually known only to the officers . I have Leo
Dean's email below because it explains our financial situation today and Leo's
well being.
Everyone take note of the generous donation that Wade
Gilbert, son of Ernie F. company, has given us for placing an add in the
Thunderbolt. and will continue to do so through 2008. Other
considerations aside it is just a very bounteous gift to us by
Wade.
Paratroopers' Odyssey is available for $22.50.
Send payment to Leo Dean.
You may at times have a problem viewing photos.
However, we place most photos on the website under Training and WWII
Photos .
Please try to send in donations by August 15 to Keep the
517 PRCT Association viable. Suggested amount $30.00 to include
Thunderbolt. Auxiliary members $20.00 Plus $10.00 if you want to
receive the for the Thunderbolt. Send donations to Leo
Dean, 14 Stonehenge Lane, Albany, NY 12203. Make checks
payable to 517prct. Donations
for the Auxiliary should be sent to Karen Frice Wallace
66295 Highway 20 Bend, OR 97701
Ben
Recent website additions:
Sgt. Robert J. Miller, I Company
(KIA)
Matthew Skovera, HQ Co, 3rd
Bn.
PFC Anthony S. Celli, I Co.
(KIA)
517th
Commemorative March 2007- Southern France
Richard Eaton videos
- Witness to the War
Madawaska Victory passenger
lists
1983
517th Reunion Booklet - San Mateo, CA
Bill Boyle news
article
Claire Giblin
Ben -
I just read in our last Mail Call that Bob is apologizing
for being behind in posting things to the website??!!
Bob is the best friend the 517 has. Without him,
there would be no website, much less the absolutely outstanding website
that the two of you have developed. Through his efforts, information has
been gathered and is there for future generations, in the format they use every
day.
So Bob occasionally has a personal life? That
is just fine with all of us. I shudder to think what we'd have to pay
someone to do his job.
We hope the girls and their place are having a great
opening!
Claire Giblin
President, 517 Auxiliary-Friends & Family
President, Bob Barrett Fan Club
Bob Barrett
Tony,
I finally got around to posting
your material to the 517th web site.
See: http://www.517prct.org/photos/photos.htm
Let me know if you want to
change or add anything.
Those letters are powerful and sad. Thanks
for sharing them. If you
have other documents that you think would be
worth sharing, I would be
honored to add them to the web site.
May I
ask what is your connection or interest in Robert Miller? Are you
a
relative, friend, or just a historian/collector?
Regards,
Bob
Barrett
webmaster@517prct.org
Wendell Engelien
To Russell Miller,
Regarding your question posted May 26 2002,
I can fill you in about Lt Bob Engelien. I am his
2nd cousin. Bob married in Feb 1945 and had one son, Mark. With Korea, he
signed up again with 1st Calvary as Capt. He was injured twice
in Korea (July and again in November, 1950.) The 2nd injury
was serious with the loss of his leg. He did go to Germany and learned
skiing on one leg. He returned to Big Bear Lake, California where he
organized a similar camp for American amputees. Wounded 6 times overall
between WWII and Korea, he became ill and passed away December 11, 1953 at
the age of 30 in Chicago IL.
If you have anything you can relate about your experience
with Robert Engelien, I would appreciate hearing from you.
Thanks. Wendell Engelien Engelienw@comcast.net
Russell Miller
I met Ian Cowan's daughter, Heather Riley, at the Savannah
reunion. Cowan and I were both in 3rd platoon "B" Company of the1st Bn
517. Have recently found a few scraps of information about our platoon's
mortar squad in which Cowan was the Gunner. Would appreciate a mailing
address and/or phone number for Heather Riley.
/s/ Russell F.
Miller
Paralegal
Heather Riley: you may recall that we met at the Savannah
reunion and talked a little bit about your father and the 517th. At my
request, Ben has provided your e-mail address so I could forward the following
information I ran across when looking at my notes and some old papers the
other day -(they are not official notes or documents). You probably
already know this, but in case you don't, here it is: I was the platoon
leader when your father and I were in Company B, 3rd Platoon, 1st Battalion of
the 517th. He was listed in our Mortar squad, along with others as
follows: Sgt.Haga (Squad Leader), PFC Cowan (Gunner), Pfc. Willard
(Assistant Gunner), Taylor, Crabtree, Bungy, Faccinto, Nadej, and our
Medic, Locke.
Plane assignments for the jump
into southern France in August 1944: Plane No. 36: Lt.
Sanford, Haga, Cowan, Bungy Faccinto (various other soldiers from some other
517th unit to provide a full load of jumpers). As you may know, Lt.
Sanford was later Governor of North Carolina, President of Duke University, and
finally U. S. Senator from North Carolina.
As only one example of what a fine
soldier your father was: my recollection is that our platoon was sent out
on a patrol in mid-January 1945 when the Battle of the Bulge was still in full
swing with the situation still very fluid ; for instance our platoon
encountered the 82nd Airborne Division commander, General James Gavin
himself, walking up a draw toward us while he was out on a personal
reconnaissance of the terrain, trying to determine location of friendly and
enemy forces in this very fluid situation. A short while later, our
platoon was ordered to set up a road block on a main highway from which the town
of St. Vith could be observed in the distance. Once we were in
position, your father zeroed in his mortar on the middle of this road which we
could readily observe from the nearby high ground where our platoon had taken
position as part of the road block. A short while later a German unit and
supply wagon came down this highway toward our platoon's location. Our
plan was for your father's mortar squad to fire a round as the enemy came
within range, at which point the rest of our rifle platoon would open
fire on targets of opportunity. Your father's mortar round landed
perfectly in the middle of the column of German troops on the road, inflicting
casualties and causing the enemy troops to break formation and
run to seek cover.
Leo Dean
Hi Ben,
A few weeks ago I sent Wade
Gilbert an invoice for $2,000 for his as in the Thunderbolt. Last week I
received a check for the $2,000. Ask ye shall receive! The treasury is still
solvent. In August I put $10,000 into a 9 months CD at 5.15%. Still have
about $8,000. in the checking account. Last Sunday I did skydive #102. Out the
door at 10,000 feet. Did three back flips before I opened the chute. Not bad for
an old guy.
Airborne!
Leo
PS. A slightly different
e-mail address.
Wade Gilbert
The offer will stand for at least until the end of
2008. Please have them run an add each time and send me a
bill.
Thanks for your help and
support.
Best
regards,
Wade
Gilbert
www.iavi.com
Heather Riley
Dear Mr. Miller,
Thank you so much for writing me. I do remember
meeting you in Savannah. Did you make it to Washington? I was able
to go to the WWII Memorial in honor of my Dad. What pride it shows for our
war heroes. I hope you have made the trip. My mother gave me Daddy's
boots last month. He had kept them all of these years. I have some
interesting mementos of his. A brochure from a fancy hotel in France
etc. I am glad he had some good memories as well. Would you
like some copies of some of his papers? I have some classified documents,
photos etc. Some of them have been put on the Website. He had copies
of the Blue Book, in which General Graves wrote the accounts of the 517th.
Please let me mail you a copy of those articles. My husband made them and
they are quite readable. I am sure you would remember lots of the
information given. Take care and thanks again for helping me picture Daddy
in those times. I do know he was a hell of a shot as he was an avid
hunter in Florida and New Jersey - many deer, hogs etc.
Yours,
Heather
Riley